CenterLines is the bi-weekly e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling &
Walking, a program of Project for Public Spaces. CenterLines is our way of quickly delivering news and information
you can use to create more walkable and bicycle-friendly communities.

-> Late March can be a trying time for people like myself, who don't care about college basketball, and who can't be counted on to chip into the office tournament pool. Bike advocacy is good training for this sort of occasion, which can leave one feeling a bit like a pariah. Still, those basketball fans do look like they're having a lot of fun, what with their cajoling and their gambling. (Sigh.)

But wait--don't despair, because Streetsblog has come to our rescue with its Surface Parking March Madness tournament! Now cities from across the country can compete for the dubious distinction of being the best (worst) implementer of the bluntest of urban renewal tools: the downtown surface parking lot.

There is still plenty of time to get in on the action. Next week Streetsblog moves onto the Elite 8.

Want to know which cities have the cheapest and most expensive parking? Here's the 2012 Colliers International North American Central Business District Parking Rate Survey: http://bit.ly/Xb4cP3

(Answers: Manhattan is the most expensive at $562/month; Bakersfield is the cheapest at $55/month.)

CONGRESSIONAL LEADERS CALL FOR BIKE/PED SAFETY GOAL

-> According to a March 26th League of American Bicyclists posting, "Today 68 members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (see letter at http://bit.ly/ZtPK2y) asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to set a national goal to reduce bicyclist deaths. The bi-partisan letter, led by Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Howard Coble (R-NC), was signed by one-third of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and represents members from 25 states and the District of Columbia..."

"MAP-21, the transportation bill passed in 2012, requires U.S. DOT to act now to establish goals -- performance measures -- to guide traffic safety policy and funding at the national and state level for years to come. Without a specific performance measure for non-motorized safety, bicyclists and pedestrians will remain firmly in the blindspot of traffic safety."

"The letter sent today shows that Members of Congress agree. This is exactly the time to establish meaningful national goals and performance measures to tackle bicyclist and pedestrian safety as part of an overall, comprehensive and multi-modal traffic safety program..."

-> According to a March 19th Better Cities & Towns post, "A recent blog from Twin Cities Sidewalks (What does Peak VMT mean for the Twin Cities?: http://bit.ly/ZFgQmW -- check out charts with various projected VMT trend lines) highlights growing evidence that vehicle miles may have peaked. If the right policies are put in place, vehicle miles can go down even as the population and economy rises. The graph dramatically shows the historical trends of vehicle miles traveled in the US and how they have changed in recent years. Young adults, who may set the direction for generations to come, are on a steep downward trajectory. After that graph came out, the Federal Highway Administration reported that only 67 percent of 16-to-24 year olds had driver's licenses in 2011, the lowest level since statistics have been kept. For cities, where more alternative transportation options are available, the trend is potentially stronger: from 2005 to 2009, as the population of Washington, DC, grew by 15,000, car registrations in the District dropped by 15,000, according to Jeff Speck in 'Walkable City.' This adds impetus to getting rid of policies like minimum parking requirements (why turn America into even more of a parking lot than it already is?). Let's, instead, go with the flow and spend more on walking, biking, and mass transit, and less on expanding highway capacity for cars that likely will not be there."

-> According to a March 20th Streetsblog Capital Hill article, "In its infrastructure report card, the American Society of Civil Engineers emphasizes the need to spend more, but buries the message about spending wisely. The American Society of Civil Engineers released its new report card for U.S. infrastructure yesterday (2013 Report Card for America's Infrastructure: http://bit.ly/Zps5N1)..."

"ASCE's report card is much more influential than your typical Beltway policy paper. It gets cited at every Congressional hearing, political meeting, and think-tank conference about infrastructure and transportation. It is used to make the case for billions more in investment -- indeed, according to ASCE, the country needs $3.6 trillion in infrastructure spending before 2020 to improve our overall grade to a B...."

-> According to a March 18th email from Tyler Norris, "I am writing to share with you a new report about the amazing benefits of walking, titled 'A Walking Revolution: A Movement Making Americans Happier and Healthier' (http://bit.ly/ZENKTS) The piece touches upon the power of walking and walkability for health, business, community, schools, and the environment. It is the outcome of a dynamic meeting held in December 2012 that brought together more than 140 colleagues from organizations across many sectors in support of walking and walkability. A centerpiece of the meeting was the announcement of a Call to Action on Walking from US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA."

"As you can see, our movement is gaining momentum. It is due in large part to the leadership of our many partners, including Safe Routes to School National Partnership, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Sports Medicine, Rails to Trails Conservancy and, America Walks. Please note that America Walks, and its Director, Scott Bricker, will be providing ongoing support to drive this movement forward..."

-> According to a March 15th The Atlantic Cities article, "Public and charter schools in the District of Columbia are now classified into one of five accountability categories, all with equally uplifting names: reward, rising, developing, focus and priority (the "reward" schools are the top performers, although one might want to try to reward improvement from the struggling ones). The index is built on measurable data like test scores, enrollment growth, attendance and graduation rates, and it offers the simplest shorthand parents can use to make the weighty decision about where to send their kids to school..."

"Harlan Harris, a data scientist and the president of Data Community DC...compared the school accountability data to Walk Score... The top-performing schools tend to be located in the most walkable areas, while the "priority" schools are located in the least walkable ones."

"'I don't have any great theory for what's going on here,' Harris says. 'But I would be surprised if a couple of things weren't important." For one, accessibility to transit tends to boost property values, meaning that families who can afford to live in such communities largely populate the schools there. Family income and educational attainment are also highly correlated. As Sarah Goodyear has previously reported, researchers have found that children who bike and walk to school are better able to concentrate when they get there (The Link Between Kids Who Walk or Bike to School and Concentration: http://bit.ly/WSdf1H)..."

Source: http://bit.ly/WTQE8t
Title: "Is There a Link Between Walkability and Local School Performance?"
Author: Emily Badger

-> According to a March 21st Progressive Press article, "Sustainability is an overwhelming amorphous goal on a global, national, or regional scale. However, when it is broken-down to small areas and focused projects, it becomes real and tangible. Instead of grand plans, little ones can be made which may have a fractal or ripple effect on the region in which the project is located."

"This above statement is the essence of an 'island of sustainability' (Walner et al. at http://bit.ly/107OMIe). Specifically, the term refers to the redevelopment, usually through a public/private partnership, of a designated derelict area into one that enhances the physical environment. It could be the redesign of an area to be an open space, a park, an urban farm, or mixed-used energy efficient land use, embodying some of the elements of sustainability. In many of these developments there is an emphasis on public transit with bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly elements."

"'Islands of sustainability' is not about big plans for a large area, but big plans for a small area..."

-> According to the March 26th APBP E-News, "APBP will host the 2013 Professional Development Seminar (PDS) in Boulder, Colorado, September 9-12. This three-day conference will be packed with state-of-the-practice information for planners, engineers, landscape architects, public health professionals, advocates -- all of you working to advance active transportation and sustainable, livable communities. Now through Monday, April 8, the Call for Speakers is open. This year's PDS theme is 'Dollars and Sense: Economic, Health and Social Benefits of Walking and Bicycling.' Sessions are organized into three tracks:"

"Return on Investment for Active Transportation

Guidelines, Standards and Decision-Making

Integrated Corridor Planning and Design"

"APBP invites your proposal to speak at the 2013 Professional Development Seminar. To learn more about the theme, tracks, and proposed classroom sessions (proposals must relate to a specific session in the program), go to: http://bit.ly/10DDwDZ. The deadline to submit a proposal is Monday, April 8; APBP will accept or decline your proposal by May 14."

-> According to a recent Bikeleague.org Blog post, "Complete Streets. The phrase feels so natural and obvious now, almost as though it appeared in our vocabulary one day, a happy accident of words. But without the tireless efforts of Barbara McCann over the last decade, the entire Complete Streets movement is unlikely to have the success and widespread acceptance it does today..."

"An opening at the Surface Transportation Policy Project -- the Transportation for America of the late 1990s and early 2000s -- brought her to Washington, D.C. While at STPP, she authored many reports, including the high-profile 'Mean Streets' series on pedestrian safety and 'Driven to Spend,' an early report on the impact of sprawl on household transportation expenses. She took on the role of Director of Information and Research at Smart Growth America, where she continued to work for bikeable, walkable communities. Her 'Measuring the Health Effects of Sprawl' was the first report to explain how the built environment is linked to physical activity and health. She co-authored 'Sprawl Costs' and worked the media to get coverage of these topics across the country...McCann...was hired to run the newly formalized National Complete Streets Coalition...'Through Barbara's communications savvy and our strong partnerships, Complete Streets became a common-sense policy that local and state governments of all sizes and political leanings adopted...' [Editor's note: the National Complete Streets Coalition will soon recognize the adoption of the 500th policy in the U.S.]"

"Last summer, Barbara recognized an opportunity to step back from the everyday management of a national organization and, in doing so, push the Complete Streets movement forward a huge step. Just a week ago, she turned in a manuscript for a book about Complete Streets to her editors at Island Press. The book explores the three (surprising) keys to the success of the Complete Streets movement and how transportation agencies across the country are making Complete Streets a matter of routine. It's due out this fall..."

See bios of other women who have led the way recently and in much earlier bicycling eras: http://bit.ly/16fAFEz

ANSWER BRIEF UNCONTROLLED CROSSINGS SURVEY BY APRIL 30

-> According to a March 21st email message from Andy Hamilton, "Last year, America Walks partnered with APBP and ITE in forming the Uncontrolled Crossings Task Force, to address the lack of safe crossings on major roads...[We] are collaborating on a small study to survey current local practices and then recommend best practices. We would greatly appreciate your participation in this 5-minute survey, and your sharing it with your colleagues in other jurisdictions."

-> According to a March 11th SCNow.com article, "Organizers of the (Hilton Head Island) RBC Heritage Golf Tournament hope more people will ride their bikes to the tournament this year. The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports the tournament will provide free bicycle parking for those attending the tournament at Sea Pines that runs from April 15 through the 21st. It's the second year free bike parking has been offered."

The tournament will have parking for at least 1,000 bikes on the tennis courts at Harbour Town. The idea is to ease some of the traffic congestion getting into and out of the course. Last year about 300 cyclists used the parking. Organizers hope that number will increase to 500 this year." (See detailed directions, parking options, and route map for bicyclists: http://bit.ly/13w5iYw)

-> According to a March 8th article in the APA Kid's Planning Toolbox, "As we look around the room at the high school juniors and seniors gathered before us, we share certainty of one detail in their future: each will be affected by a land use decision. More importantly, we note that each student has the ability to affect and contribute to that decision making process, even now as young adults in the community..."

"The Rockland Planning Land Use with Students (PLUS) program (http://bit.ly/10hzi48) introduces high school students from throughout Rockland County, New York, to collaborative planning principals while engaging them in visioning planning in their own communities. Initiated almost a decade ago, the project has shepherded close to 1,000 students through the experience. Each year, approximately 100 students are introduced to sustainable planning guidelines which promote a community balance of Social Connections, Economic Opportunity and Environmental Sensitivity (S.E.E.). As the students engage in planning projects in their communities, they are quickly able to "S.E.E." the importance of this balance in planning..."

-> According to a March 11th Streetsblog.net article, "Something important is happening in Memphis, Tennessee. Out on the streets, the city has made progress on its plan to add 55 miles of bike lanes in two years, including the installation of some protected bike lanes. In addition, the state of Tennessee has been overhauling its transportation policies in a shift away from road expansion."

"More change is coming. Anthony Siracusa at the Green Lane Project blog reports that Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton has issued an executive order on complete streets that will require a big update of the city's street design practices: Memphis has quickly become a municipal leader among Tennessee cities, rethinking transportation policies to focus more on providing safe places for people to walk and bike..."

-> According to a March 20th BikeWalkLee Blog article, "On March 20th, staff made a presentation on the complete streets 2012 implementation report to the Sustainability Advisory Committee (CSAC)...The Complete Streets Resolution (09-11-13) adopted by the Lee Board of County Commissioners on November 10, 2009, included a requirement for an annual report on the implementation status..."

"Below are highlights of BikeWalkLee's assessment of the most important accomplishments this year:

GIS complete streets evaluation tool has been refined and released publicly, with training for other jurisdictions and interested parties. Using this visual tool is the best way to break down silos between departments and agencies and to promote integrated and holistic planning.

Prioritization of complete streets project recommendations...

Integrating complete streets principles into every aspect of the Horizon 2035 Plan. The report does an excellent job of reviewing all the work that this committee has done in reviewing the draft elements of the Horizon 2035 Plan to ensure that the complete streets policy and principles are fully integrated...

STEM outreach. One of the most exciting accomplishments has been... [staff's] role in taking complete streets to area high school STEM programs and college students, taking students out on the streets to explore walkability concepts...

CIP review process. 2012 was the second year of the modified planning and budgeting process and the first year of CSAC and its complete streets working group's review of the draft CIP. The staff did an excellent job of ensuring that all planned road projects included bike/ped facilities in their designs..."

-> According to a March 14th Bike Walk Twin Cities article, "BWTC has just released the 2012 Bike Walk Twin Cities Pedestrian and Bicycle Count Report (http://bit.ly/ZXt7n0). This annual report provides a detailed view of bicycling and walking at numerous locations across the Twin Cities, supplementing existing data on motorized traffic to develop a more complete picture of overall travel behavior in our communities. "

"Annual BWTC counts at 40 benchmark locations in the Twin Cities metro indicate that bicycling increased 50.5% and walking 23.5% between 2007 and 2012. Overall, active transportation (bicycling and walking together) rose by 37% from 2007 to 2012. This year over year increase demonstrates the growing mode share of bicycling and walking transportation..."

-> According to the March 8-80 Cities Newsletter, "The Toronto Cycling Think and Do Tank is a multidisciplinary, multi-sector research project focused on increasing cycling for transportation. This research project is focused on principally investigating the social infrastructure required to encourage people to ride a bike for practical needs. This report synthesizes academic behaviour [sic] change literature with the practical application of cycling programs to present an adaptable, evidence-based guide to the development of a 'toolkit' to accelerate the adoption of cycling for transportation." (A Tool Kit to Accelerate the Adoption of Cycling for Transport: http://bit.ly/16frHXR)

-> According to the Winter 2013 VTPI News, "The 'Urban Mobility Report' (UMR) is a widely-cited study that estimates U.S. traffic congestion costs. This report (Congestion Costing Critique: Critical Evaluation of the 'Urban Mobility Report:' http://bit.ly/16Xe00Z) critically examines the UMR's assumptions and methods. The UMR evaluates urban transport system performance based only on vehicle traffic congestion; it ignores other modes and impacts. It tends to exaggerate congestion costs and roadway expansion benefits. It assumes that urban traffic will grow rapidly in the future, ignoring evidence that vehicle travel is peaking and travel demands are changing. The UMR ignores basic research principles: it fails to explain assumptions, document sources, incorporate independent peer review, or respond to criticisms. More comprehensive and multi-modal planning can identify truly optimal congestion reduction strategies."

-> According to the Winter 2013 VTPI News, "'Complete streets' refers to roads designed to accommodate diverse modes, users and activities including walking, cycling, public transit, automobile, nearby businesses and residents. Such street design helps create more multi-modal transport systems and more livable communities. This report (Evaluating Complete Streets: The Value of Designing Roads For Diverse Modes, Users and Activities: http://bit.ly/UbPDHI) discusses reasons to implement complete streets and how it relates to other planning innovations."

-> According to a March 18th Yahoo News article, "New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's campaign to limit sugary drinks is losing juice, but an idea the city has used to convey caloric information about these beverages might actually have legs. Public awareness posters used by the campaign showed the number of miles a person would have to walk to burn off the calories in a 20 ounce soda, and new research suggests that physical activity-based conversions such as these can actually persuade people to make healthier choices...."

"Choosing what to eat or drink based on calorie numbers alone is challenging for some restaurant goers, according to Anthony Viera at the University of North Carolina (U.N.C.) at Chapel Hill School of Medicine... So Viera and his colleagues conducted an online survey of 802 individuals randomly presented with one of four hypothetical menus. (Potential Effect of Physical Activity Based Menu Labels on the Calorie Content of Selected Fast Food Meals: http://bit.ly/YktmsE) One of the menus provided only calorie counts, another supplemented this with information about the number of minutes one would need to walk to burn those calories whereas the third menu showed calorie numbers plus the distance necessary to walk them off. The fourth menu had no nutritional data whatsoever. All of the physical activity labeling for walking was based on the energy expenditure of a 160 pound adult walking at a rate of 30 minutes per mile-so a "regular burger" was, for example, listed as containing 250 calories, the equivalent amount burned in 2.6 miles, or 78 minutes of walking..."

-> VIDEO: THE GIFT OF WALKING"The human body is made to walk. Our bodies function better when we walk. We are healthier in many ways when we walk. There is almost nothing we can do for our own personal health that creates more benefit than walking...30 minutes a day, five days a week... We owe it to ourselves to walk."

-- George C. Halvorson, Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Permanente in an everybodywalk.org video that also describes how regular walking reduces the likelihood of a variety of diseases.http://bit.ly/WzBULC

AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...

VIDEOS: KALI THE ORPHANED POLAR BEAR SETTLES IN AT THE ALASKA ZOO

-> "Kali the polar bear was orphaned and taken to the Alaska Zoo after its mother was killed by a hunter. After realizing that the polar bear he shot was a mother with a cub, hunter James Tazruk told the Anchorage Daily News that he tracked down her den, crawled inside, and found Kali. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm going to take you home," he told the cub, "Just don't bite me." Kali is about three or four months old, weighs 18 pounds, and is currently being housed at the Alaska Zoo."

Additional training opportunities are available on the National Center for Bicycling & Walking web site. Add your own items to the on-line calendar...it's quick and easy. Please be sure your calendar items pertain to training and workshops in the bicycle, pedestrian, or livable community fields. Go to:http://www.bikewalk.org/calendar.php

The White House Champions of Change (http://1.usa.gov/XGedi6) program highlights the stories and examples of citizens across the country who are "Building an America to Last" with projects and initiatives that move their communities forward. The White House... will select Champions for a May 8, 2013, event honoring people who are making a difference in transportation, and we want to hear from you about who should be on the list. If you know of an individual or organization providing leadership in transportation technology solutions that either enhance performance, reduce congestion, improve safety, or facilitate communication, please let us know by March 28. We're looking for the app developers who take transportation data like transit bus locations and make it available on commuters' smartphones. For organizations that use technology to encourage public involvement in transportation planning. For roadways where technology is at work helping to reduce congestion. We're looking for the driving forces behind technology that helps companies track how their freight moves from Point A to Point B, that helps automakers boost fuel economy, that helps airplanes navigate our skies.

The City of Leawood, Kansas seeks a qualified professional firm to prepare a detailed Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities Plan for the City, which is compatible with goals and objectives set forth in the current City of Leawood Comprehensive Plan and Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and any other relevant plans and reports deemed appropriate by the City. The plan will be used as to develop a definitive policy document and conceptual plan for the development of safe, functional, convenient, and attractive bicycle and pedestrian facilities throughout the City of Leawood, and serve as a resource for planning purposes.

Idaho Smart Growth is seeking an experienced, talented and passionate professional to lead the organization. The ideal Executive Director candidate will have an understanding and commitment to Smart Growth principles. Strong candidates will have these qualities: Skilled Communicator, Experienced Manager, Fundraiser, Influencer, and Strategic Visionary.

The Bikes Belong Coalition welcomes grant applications from organizations and agencies within the United States that are committed to putting more people on bicycles more often. Fundable projects include paved bike paths, lanes, and rail-trails as well as mountain bike trails, bike parks, BMX facilities, and large-scale bicycle advocacy initiatives. In 2013, Bikes Belong will accept Community Partnership Grant Applications only. These proposals must come from a partnership that is minimally comprised of one government agency or office, one non-profit organization, and one business. Proposals may be for facility or advocacy projects but must be submitted on the Community Partnership Grant Application. The Bikes Belong Grants Program has two application categories: Facility and Advocacy.